Gripper and breaker wheel and bridging spring for web feeding and severing apparatus



June 15, 1931. Q RUFF lfilfififi? GRIPPER AND BREAKER WHEEL AND BRIDGING SPRING FOR WEB FEEDING AND SEVERING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1931. c. A. RUPP 1,819,493

GRIPPER AND BREAKER WHEEL AND BRIDGING SPRING FOR WEB FEEDING AND SEVERING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 21, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL A. RUPP, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFbRNIA, ASSIGNOR TO QOMMERCIAL IRON WORKS LOS ANGELES, OF IDS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A. CORPORATION OF CALI- FORIN'IA.

GRIPPER AND BREAKER WHEEL AND BRIDGING SPRING. FOR WEB FEEDING AN SEVERING APPARATUS s Applicationfiled August 21, 1928. Serial No. 300,992.

severing apparatus.

In web severing apparatus, for mstance, as

used in printing presses gripper and breaker g wheels areused in connectlon with the feeding mechanism in which the gripper wheels having a rubber face continuously grip and feed the paper, and periodically the paper is engaged y the breaker wheels which rotate at ahigher peripheral speed, thus the tension caused by the breaker wheels tears the paper at a weakened or perforated line. Ad acent v the breaker wheels there is usually positioned a collector roll on which the paper is collected and removed periodically. The guides for the paper comprise lower endless tapes and upper endless tapes, the paper being positioned between such tapes; and where the lower tape dips underneath the feeding table of the press there is a space in which the pa er sometimes feeds downwardly instead of eing carried onto the paper roll.

' An object of my invention is the construction. of gripper and, breaker wheels in conjunction'with-a bridge for the gap in the feeding table to properly feed an sever the paper andtransfer the severed paper across the gap to the collector roll. I

It is necessary to adjust the diameter of the gripper and breaker wheels and in the prior practice this has been done by squeezing a rubber facing material which causes the rubber to assume a crown or bulged face. An object, therefore, of my invention in the grip-- per and breaker wheels is a construction by which the diameter of the wheels may be adju'sted either increasingor decreasing, and the face of the contact ring engagin the pawardly sloping surface of the body of the per maintained with a straight sur ace, con-- adjustable nut on the end of the w eel. The

wheel and the nut with an annular inner dovetail portion. In this construction, when the nut is screwed tighter on the rubber it wedges the main body of the rubber outwardly elonating the neck portion at the narrowest part of the dovetail, the dovetail portion being retained in the dovetail groove formed by the main body of the wheel and the nut. This action changes the diameter of the working face of the wheel without distorting such face.

In connection with the invention of the bridging spring to close the gap where the under tape dips underneath the feeding table I employ a strip of spring material bent into a shape to engage with one edge of the feeding tape at the slot and with the other edge bent to engage a transverse structural member of the press positioned below the gap or slot and thus form a bridge carrying the paper across on the feeding table .to be properly conveyed to the collector roll. This strip of spring metal is constructed to engage underneath a triangular cross piece on the feedin side of the gap or space, and has a hooked end which preferably engages over the upper end of an angle iron. My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section on the line 1 -1 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, I Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing the relative position and assembly of the breaker wheels and the bridging Fig. 5 isa perspective view of the bridging Spring,

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a breaker or gripper wheel taken in the direction of the arrow 6' ofFig. 7,

I Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the main portion of the wheel, i

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section on the line 9*?) of Fig. 8 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. is an end view of Fig. 9 in the direction of the arrow 10,

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the rubber ring taken in the direction of the arrow 11 of Fig. 12,

Fig. 12 is a section through the ring on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11,

Fig. 13 is an elevation of a washer taken in the direction of the arrow 13 of Fig. 14,

Fig. 14 is a section on the line 14-14 of Fi 13 in the direction of the arrows,

Fi 15 is an elevation of the nut taken in the 'rection of the arrow 15 of Fig. 16,

Fig. 16 isasection on the line 1616 of Fi 15 in the direction of the arrows.

n illustrating my invention the general layout is shown in Figs. 1 through 4 in which the feeding table is designated by the numeral 11 with a first open space 12, a first transverse slot 13, a triangular shaped transverse bar14, and a second transverse slot or gap 15, the table terminating as indicated at 16 forward of the collector roll 16'. A transverse an le bar 17 is positioned below the triangulariar 14. I I

A gripper wheel shaft 18 is mounted in suitable journals on the sides of the feedin table and has the gripper wheels 19 moun thereon. Further along the table there is a shaft 20 mounted in suitable journals 21 having a rockin frame 22. This rocking frame is operated tlxrough the medium of anoscillating shaft 23 having a bell crank 24 with a rod 25 eng 'ng the end 26 of the rocking frame. In tiliis end there is mounted a balancing tie rod 27 and in the other end of the frame there is journaled the breaker shaft 28 carrying the upper set of breaker wheels 29. Thereare suitably driven rollers 30 and 31 positioned below the gripper wheels and the breaker wheels and mounted in the space 12 and slot 13 respectively. The drive of the roller 31 is at a higher peripheral speed than that of the roller 30.

There is a lower feed tape 32 having its upper run 33 passin over the. feeding table 11, there being a lea ing idle roller 34 and a trailing drive roller 35. This latter is positioned slightly below the "gap or slot 15. The lower tape is maintained taut and ided by an idler 36 carried by an adjustab e arm 37.

The upper tape 38 has its lower run 39 passing along the feedin table above the upper run of t e tape 33. Ihis has idle rollers 40 and 41 adjacent the infeed end and drive pulleys 42 adjacent the collector roll. An idler 43 mounted on an adjustable arm 44 maintains the upper tape tight and guided. A third set of ta es 44apass over rolls 44b and 440, certain of these rolls being driven, and the belt follows part of the circumference of the collector roll 16, thus guiding the paper in its being wound on this collector roll. This general feature disclosed of the feeding table with the difierent tapes is two cutting cylinders not shown in this lllustration but which operate close to the rollers 34 and 40 and transverse to the table. As the. paper usually has printing thereon the tapes are adjusted laterally so that they will not contact with the printing.

The gap 15 in the sectional table is for the purpose of allowing the tapes 32 to dip below the table but the paper must be fed on top of the tablewhere it is fed under the upper tape 38 until. it is brought into engagement with the collector roll 16. The roller 31 and e the breaker wheels 29 which enga e the web or paper periodically travel at a igher peripheral speed than the driven roller 30 and the gripper wheels 19. The lower tape 32 travels at the same rate as the paper fed through the gripper wheels but as the paper, as it leaves the breaker wheels 29 and the driven roller 31, will travel at a higher s eed, such being the speed of the collector r0 1 16' and thetape 44a, usually the collector roll collects a maximum of tissue paper sheets. These sheets are usually of such length that there is a gap of from seven to eight inches on the collector roll between the ends of the sheets, thereby allowing for the ready removal of sheets on the collector rolls by takeofi fingers which duck periodically to engage main body structure 50 with a bore 51 to fit on the shaft and usin a set screw 52 to hold the wheels in place. here is a reduced neck 53' with a threaded end 54 and having a featherway 55 extending longitudinally of the neck. An inwardly sloping annular shoulder 56 is provided on the flange 57, this having an undercut sloping surface 58. There is a radial slot 59 joining with the featherway 55. A nut 60 is threaded on the threads 54 and has an inwardly tapered surface 61 vand. an undercut surface 62. A pair of washers 63 are substantially similar and have an angular bend 64 providing a longitudinal flange 65 and a short flange 66. There is also a feather 67 to fit in the featherway 55. A rubber ring 68 has a tread section 69 with inwardly sloping surfaces 70 on each side, and a small outwardly sloping surface 71, there being a connecting neck 72, thus forming in eflect a dovetail annular section 7 8.

The peripheral surface 7 1 forms a cylinder, the side walls being at right angles to the axis.

The manner of assembly and functioning of the gripper and breaker wheels is substantially as follows: It will be seen that the rubber ring is fitted with the washers on opposite sides so that the angular portion 64 of the washers fits in the neck portion 72 of the rubber. One of the washers bears against the annular shoulder 56 and the undercut surface 58 of the flange 57 of the main body of the wheel. The other washer fitsagainst the tapered surface 61 and the smaller undercut surface 62 of the nut. (Note Fig. 7.) The washers are maintained from rotation by the engagement of the feathers in the featherway. When it is desired to alter the diameter of the workin face of the gripper wheels the nut may be tig tened by further screwing on the threads which action causes a wediging outwardly of the main body portion 0 the rubber ring and squeezing in of the neck. The action distorts the rubber by stretching and compressin the main portion and the dovetail sectionfiout the periphery 74 ismaintained ,with a. cylindrical operating surface and does not tend to bulge in a crown, thereby giving a full and effective surface for operating on the paper.

The bridging spring 7 6 is fitted in the gap or slot 15. This spring has a web 7 7 of which the parts 78 contact with the paper. There is a reverse bend 79 at one end with a depending flange 80. The other portion of the web 81 is bent slightly concave and has a reverse bend 82 with a depending flange 83. This bridging spring is positioned so that the reverse bent portion 7 9 of the flange engages the end 8 oi the portion 85 of the table between the gap 15 and the end 16 of the table. The ridge 86 of the bridging spring engages adjacent the corner 87 of the triangular bar 14.

The portion 81 of the web follows along the sloping surface 88- of the triangular bar '14 and the reverse bend 82 and the flange 83 engages the'upper flange 89 of the cross angle 17. (Note particularly Fig. 4.)

A feature of my invention in relation to the bridging spring is that when the spring is disconnected from the press, that the web portion 81 has a concave curve outwardly and the web portion 78 to contact with the paper is slightly convexed as shown in Fig. 5. However, when the bridging spring is placed in the feed table of the press and connected as shown in Fig. 4, the concave curve of the part 81 is somewhat flattened and when the depending fiange 80 engages the end 84 of the table, this causes the web portion 78 which engages the paper to flatten out, thus giving c(ilearing surface over which the paper is By my construction above mentioned an accurate adjustment can be made of the diameter of the ripper and breaker wheels and still maintain the cylindrical working surface on the rubber ring of such wheels. The bridging spring prevents the paper from curling down in the gap 15 and carries the paper over to the portion 85 of the feeding table on the transmission to the collector roll. It is to be noted that these bridging springs are not permanently held in place but may be readily removed and reinserted at diiferent distances apart transversely of the feeding table. The gripper and breaker wheels may also be adjusted transversely of the table.

While it is old construction to use gripper and breaker wheels and feeding tapes such as illustrated in my drawings and described herein, nevertheless my invention as to the gripper and breaker wheels relies principally in the structural characteristics of such wheels. In addition to this, I have'an improved means for carrying the webs of paper from one section of the feed table to another by means of the bridging springs across the transverse space or gap 15. These devices 0perate in combination as the bridging springs are necessary in cooperation with the breaker wheels in order that the web of paper will noglfollow the tape 32 below the surface of the ta e.

Various changes may be made in the principles of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

I claim:

1. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, the combination of rotatable gripper and breaker wheels, said wheels each having a resilient contactin face, and means to expand the diameter 0 the said contacting face and the expanding means maintaining said face cylindrical.

2. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, the combination of gripper and breaker wheels each having a ring of resilient material with a contacting face, and means to expand the said ring to vary the diameter and at the same time maintain the contacting contour constant.

3. In a web feeding and severing appa- I contacting with the ring, the nut wedging the ratus, the combination of gripper and breaker wheels each having a sloping shoulder with an undercut portion, a nut having a sloping shoulder and an undercut portion, a rubber rin fitting between the said shoulder-s on the b0 y of the wheel and the nut, the ring having a dovetail portion engaging the undercut surfaces, the nut being adapted to'expand the diameter of the ring and in such expansion maintaining the contour constant considered in an axial direction.

6. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, rotatable gripper and breaker wheels each having a body structure with a reduced neck and an inclined shoulder with an undercut portion having threads on one end with a nut fitted therein, the nut having a sloping surface with an undercut portion, a rubber ring fitted over the neck and having a dovetail portion engaging the undercut surfaces of the body structure and the nut, and having sloping surfaces engaging the sloping shoulders of the body structure and the nut, the nut on compressing the ring causing an expansion in diameter, the peripheral surface of the ring being cylindrical in all conditions of expansion.

7. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, as claimed in claim 6, the neck having a featherway and a pair of angular washers, each having a feather, the washers fitting on the sloping shoulder and undercut surface of the body structure and the sloping shoulders and undercut surfaces of the nut. v

8. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, a gripper and breaker wheel having a body structure with a reduced neck and a sloping surface leading towards the neck and an undercut portion extending from the sloping surface to the neck, a nut threaded on the neck and having a tapered surface with an undercut portion, a rubber ring having a dovetail inner portion with sloping surfaces to contact with the sloping surfaces of the body structure and the nut and with surfaces on the dovetail to engage the undercut portions of the body structure and the nut.

9. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, a gripper and breaker wheel having a body structure with a reduced neck and an inwardly sloping surface extending towards the neck and an undercut surface from the sloping surface to the neck, there being a featherway in the neck, a nut having a tapered surface extending inwardly with an undercut surface from the tapered surface to the neck, a pair of angular washers fitted against the sloping surfaces of the body structure and the nut and fitting the underbeing spaced, a transverse bar between cer- Y tain sections and in spaced relation thereto, there being a gap between the bar and a portion of the table for the passage of belts,

means to feed paper on the table across the gap, and a series of adjustable bridging springs fitting between the bar and the portion of such table across such gap.

11. In a web feeding-and severing apparatus, a sectional feeding table, certain sections being spaced, atransverse bar between certain sections and in spaced relation thereto, there being a gap between the bar and a portion of the table for the passage of belts, means to feed paper over the gap, a series of adjustable bridging springs, each having a bentend to enga e an'edge of a portion of the table at one side of the gap, and having a web portion fitting underneath the said transverse bar. a,

12. In a web feeding and severing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, a transverse angle iron positioned below the transverse bar, and the said spring having a bent end to engage the said angle iron.

13. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, a sectional feeding table, certain sections being spaced, a transverse bar triangular in a section considered longitudinally as regards the feeding table between certain sections and in spaced relation thereto, there being a gap between the bar and a portion of the table for passage of belts, means to feed paper along the table on top of the bar, a series of adjustable bridging springs each having a web with'a paper contacting portion extending across the gap and with a reverse bend and flange to engage the edge of the portion of thetable at one side of the gap, another portion of the web extending along one of the under sides of the transverse bar, and

means to secure said tion.

14. In a web feeding and severing appara tus as claimed in claim 13, means to secure the said latter portion in position" comprising a transverse angle iron w1th an upwardly extending flange, the end of the spring having a reverse bend with a downwardly extending flange engaging the flange of the an le iron.

15. A bridging spring for web fee ing and severlng apparatus comprising a strip of metal having a web portion with one part latter portion in posi- Ill adapted to contact with a web of paper and having a reverse bend at one end with a downwardly extending flange, another portion of the web being bent at an angle downwardly relative to the contacting portion and having a reverse bend at the end with a downwardly extending flange.

16. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, a sectional feeding table, certain sections being spaced, a transverse bar having a downwardly and backwardly sloping surface toward the "direction of feed, said bar being between certain sections and in spaced relations thereto, there being a gap between the bar and a portion of the table for passage of belts, means to feed paper along the table on top of thebar, a series of adjustable bridging springs, each having a web with a paper contacting portion extending across the gap, and means to engage said spring at the portion of the table adjacent the gap, the

spring also having a web portion adapted to fit closely adjacent the sloping surface of the transverse bar, and means to retain such latter web portion in position, the said spring before insertion in the printing press having bridging springs fitted between the bar and y the portion of such table across such gap.

20. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, rotatably driven breaker wheels and a cooperating backing member therefore on the opposite side of the web, means to intermittently engage the breaker wheels with the web material against the backing member,

and means to expand the diameter of the said wheels, the said expansion means maintaining the contactin surface cylindrical.

In testimony w ereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' C. A. RUPP.

a slight convex curve on the web portion adapted to contact with the paper and a slight concave curve on the portion adjacent the transverse bar.

17, In a web feeding and severing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, the means to secure the spring adjacent the transverse bar comprising a second bar having an upwardly extending flange positioned below and spaced below the first transverse bar and the s ring having a reverse bend with a flange tting over the flange of the said second bar.

18. A bridging spring for web feeding and severing apparatus comprising a strip of' metal having a web portion with one part adapted to contact with the paper, said portion having a slight upward convex curve with a reverse bend at one end and adownwardly extending firstflange positioned back from the said bend, another portion being bent downwardly from the contacting ortion at an obtuse angle and having a shght concave curve upwardly; said latter portion having a second reverse bend and a second downwardly extending second flange spaced from said latter end, the part of the spring having the concave curve being adapted to fit adjacent a downwardly sloping transverse bar in a space in a sectional table and the second flange to engage a second transverse bar spaced from the said first transverse bar and t e first flange being adapted to engage an edge of a web feeding table spaced from the first transverse bar.

19. In a web feeding and severing apparatus, a sectional feeding table, certain sections being spaced apart, web feeding belts wheel a second driving roller engaging 

